Over the past few seasons we have spoken of a quieter, more considered design aesthetic with a pared-down simplicity or whispered wow factor. As we look ahead to the Autumn/Winter 2012/13 season and our obsession with clean air and well-being continues to grow, we see this evolving into a very pure and clean aesthetic.
Across all design disciplines a luminous and icy trend will emerge: iridescent outlines, kaleidoscopic glow effects, transparencies, luminous plasmas and stereoscopic imagery create diffractions of light and spectacular visual effects much like the aurora borealis. There is a delicacy present in the idea of invisibility, barely there tints, crystals, moire patterns and glacial effects.
This is a look with definite soothing qualities. The calmness of the styling is reflected in an ethereal colour palette of uber pale tints, iridescent shimmers, foiled metallics and ice cold platinum. We'll begin to see a colourful range of light bursts: refractions and reflections, chromatic plays, pearlescents, ultra violet and laser lights, optical fibres and halos of light.
Lines flow flawlessly and are clean and simple, as are the shapes, with perfect spheres and cones creating a fascinating new breed of unpretentious yet exciting interior products including furniture, lighting and accessories. Surfaces are smooth and glacial with the appearance of an inner glow.
Last month at London Design Festival's Tent exhibition, I was introduced to the exquisite work of the London-based designer Bodo Sperlein, and it took my breath away. His latest collection, in collaboration with the Japanese company Nikko, perfectly captures the quiet, ethereal beauty of this trend.
The collection includes a range of designs - Blossom, Voyage, Cloud Décor and Macaroon - that work harmoniously together. A delicate palette of pale tints has been skilfully used with colours fading like a wash of paint in water. This work is a "Western re-imagining of Eastern values" with Sperlein cleverly "fusing two cultures to create a collection that responds and adds to the dining needs of both". The designer has created an organic collection of dinner and serveware where the individual components can be artfully composed on the table for dining or, when not in use, cleverly arranged to create pleasing ceramic displays.
I was so captivated by the long delicate spoons, elegant tea service, and array of bowls and plates that I have promised myself I'll begin collecting, starting with the Blossom bowls and adding pieces over time. The poetic forms elevate the experience of dining at home and I for one look forward to sharing the pleasure of exquisite dining with my family and friends.
Shelley Pond is the creative director of Scarlet Opus. For more information visit www.trendsblog.co.uk or www.twitter.com/scarletopus. For more information on Bodo Sperlein's Blossom collection, visit www.nikko-bodosperlein.com
The biog
Siblings: five brothers and one sister
Education: Bachelors in Political Science at the University of Minnesota
Interests: Swimming, tennis and the gym
Favourite place: UAE
Favourite packet food on the trip: pasta primavera
What he did to pass the time during the trip: listen to audio books
Five ways to get fit like Craig David (we tried for seven but ran out of time)
Start the week as you mean to go on. So get your training on strong on a Monday.
Train hard, but don’t take it all so seriously that it gets to the point where you’re not having fun and enjoying your friends and your family and going out for nice meals and doing that stuff.
Think about what you’re training or eating a certain way for — don’t, for example, get a six-pack to impress somebody else or lose weight to conform to society’s norms. It’s all nonsense.
Get your priorities right.
And last but not least, you should always, always chill on Sundays.
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
RACECARD
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Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
EPL's youngest
- Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
15 years, 181 days old
- Max Dowman (Arsenal)
15 years, 235 days old
- Jeremy Monga (Leicester)
15 years, 271 days old
- Harvey Elliott (Fulham)
16 years, 30 days old
- Matthew Briggs (Fulham)
16 years, 68 days old
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
WE%20NO%20LONGER%20PREFER%20MOUNTAINS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Inas%20Halabi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENijmeh%20Hamdan%2C%20Kamal%20Kayouf%2C%20Sheikh%20Najib%20Alou%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
